Mobile Dashboard for Employee Performance Management Tools

ABSTRACT

Techniques are described for a graphical user interface that presents a dashboard on a display of the mobile electronic device. The dashboard includes a footer for presenting commonly used features that are available to a given user. The remaining area in the dashboard is configured to present multiple tiles. Each tile can provide the status of a feature that is available to the user. Depending on the status of a given feature, the tile can change its visual appearance by applying a theme that corresponds to the status. The theme can affect the font, font size, typecast, or general overall appearance of the tile. The dashboard allows a user to monitor the status of features by pushing the status information to the dashboard instead of having the user manually check for the status of each feature.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The instant nonprovisional patent application claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/996,823, filed May 14, 2014 andincorporated by reference in its entirety herein for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

As businesses grow, so does the size of its workforce. Over time, thesize of the workforce may become large enough that employee performancemanagement tools are needed to organize the efforts of all the employeeswithin the business organization. Employee performance management toolsprovide features that help employees communicate with and manage oneanother. While the features provided serve to improve employeeproductivity, the reality is that monitoring the features can be verytime consuming, particularly for managers of the business organizationwho need utilize the various features on a daily basis. For example, amanager can start a first application to monitor one feature, close thefirst application, and then start a second application to monitor asecond feature. A manager can traverse through many differentapplications throughout the day to check for updates from the variousdirect reports. This can be a very cumbersome and time consumingprocesses.

Furthermore, employees in large business organizations are oftentraveling from one office building to the next. As a result, theemployee performance management tools are often accessed on a mobileelectronic device. Given that the display on a mobile electronic deviceis typically small in size, a limited amount of information can bepresented to the employee on a given screen. As a result, theapplications provided to access the tools often require the employee toperform many steps before the desired information can be accessed. Thisfurther exasperates a managers frustrations when monitoring directreports.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method presenting, by aportable electronic device, a dashboard containing an ordered list oftiles that are configured to report on features of a performancemanagement tool remote to the portable electronic device, wherein afirst tile is configured to report on a management feature provided bythe performance management tool. The method can continue by detecting,by the portable electronic device, an alert for the management feature.The method can the first tile in response to the alert.

In another embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable storage mediumstores one or more programs comprising instructions for presenting adashboard containing an ordered list of tiles that are configured toreport on features of a performance management tool remote to theportable electronic device, wherein a first tile is configured to reporton a management feature provided by the performance management tool,detecting an alert for the management feature, and updating the firsttile in response to the alert.

In another embodiment, a computer implemented system comprises one ormore computer processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprisesinstructions, that when executed, present a dashboard containing anordered list of tiles that are configured to report on features of aperformance management tool remote to the portable electronic device,wherein a first tile is configured to report on a management featureprovided by the performance management tool, detect an alert for themanagement feature, and updating the first tile in response to thealert.

The following detailed description and accompanying drawings provide abetter understanding of the nature and advantages of the presentdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for presenting a dashboard on a clientdevice;

FIG. 2 illustrates a display of a client device according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary collection of tiles for a direct reportaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary collection of tiles for a manageraccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary tile for representing an out of officefeature according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4B illustrates another exemplary tile representing an out of officefeature according to another embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary tile for representing an approvalfeature according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) forapproving approvals according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary tile for representing a goals featureaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 7B illustrates another exemplary tile for representing a goalsfeature according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7C illustrates another exemplary tile for representing a goalsfeature according to one embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) forevaluating goals according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9A illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a list of to doitems according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9B illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a list of todo items according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9C illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a list of todo items according to one embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary GUI for presenting a to do listaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary interview feedback GUI according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 12A illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a learning featureaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 12B illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting learningitems according to one embodiment;

FIG. 12C illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a list oflearning items according to one embodiment;

FIG. 13A illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a time off featureaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 13B illustrates another example for presenting a time off featureaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 14A illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a calendar featureaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 14B illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a calendarfeature according to one embodiment;

FIG. 14C illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a calendarfeature according to one embodiment;

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a fuel featureaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 16 illustrates a detailed graphical user interface for a fuelfeature according to one embodiment;

FIG. 17 illustrates a process for presenting a dashboard according toone embodiment; and

FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary computer system according to oneembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousexamples and specific details are set forth in order to provide athorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be evident,however, to one skilled in the art that the present disclosure asexpressed in the claims may include some or all of the features in theseexamples alone or in combination with other features described below,and may further include modifications and equivalents of the featuresand concepts described herein.

Techniques are described for a graphical user interface that presents adashboard on a display of the mobile electronic device. The dashboardincludes a footer for presenting commonly used features that areavailable to a given user. The features in the footer can be predefinedor manually selected by the user. The remaining area in the dashboard isconfigured to present multiple tiles. Each tile can provide the statusof a feature that is available to the user. Depending on the status of agiven feature, the tile can change its visual appearance by applying atheme that corresponds to the status. For example if a feature has anurgent status that requires immediate review, the dashboard applicationcan apply a theme. The theme can affect the font, font size, typecast,or general overall appearance of the tile. For example, the icon orimage that is presented within a tile can change according to the theme.As a result, the dashboard allows a user to monitor the status offeatures by pushing the status information to the dashboard instead ofhaving the user manually check for the status of each feature.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for presenting a dashboard on a clientdevice. System 100 includes employee performance management tools 105,mobile server 110, and client device 120. Employee performancemanagement tools 105 are performance management applications foremployees within an organization while mobile server 110 directs trafficbetween employee performance management tools 105 and client device 120.Each application can provide one or more features which can be monitoredon client device 120 through a dashboard application. Client device 120can be a portable electronic device that is operated by one or moreemployees of the organization. In one example, each employee may havehis or her own client device. In another example, multiple employees mayshare a single client device. Client device 120 includes processor 121,memory 122, network interface 123, storage device 123, display 125, anduser interface 126. Processor 121 can execute a dashboard applicationstored in memory 122 or storage device 124. The dashboard applicationcan generate a graphical user interface of a dashboard on display 125.The dashboard can provide updates on the status of various features ofemployee performance management tools 105 that are available to theuser. This allows the user to easily monitor the status of features byinteracting with the dashboard. In some embodiments, update informationcan be pushed from employee performance management tools 105 to clientdevice 120. The dashboard application can process the update informationand update the tiles in the dashboard accordingly. Through the tiles inthe dashboard, the user can monitor multiple features simultaneously andif necessary, make adjustments to a feature through graphical icons inthe dashboard.

Here, system 100 includes user 130 named “John Doe” and user 140 named“Jane Doe.” User 130 can log into client device 120 by providing asecure identifier, such as a username/password or a private token. Oncelogged into client device 120, processor 121 can execute a dashboardapplication. The dashboard application can transmit requests throughnetwork interface 123 to employee performance management tools 125. Therequests can be to retrieve feature information that is associated withuser 130. Once the feature information is received, the dashboardapplication can present a dashboard on display 125. User 130 caninteract with the dashboard on display 125 through user interface 126.The interactions can be for presenting additional information that isrelevant to a tile in the dashboard or for providing instructions to afeature represented by a tile in the dashboard.

FIG. 2 illustrates a display of a client device according to oneembodiment. Display 125 includes dashboard 205 which occupies some orall of display 125. In some examples, dashboard 205 can be configured tooccupy a predefined area of display 125. Dashboard 205 includes footer210. Footer 210 can contain one or more common features that areavailable to the user of the client device. In one embodiment, footer210 can present available features that are ordered based on a guide.The guide can specify an ordering that available tiles should appear infooter 210 if the feature that corresponds to the tile is available forthe user. In one embodiment, positioned along a border of dashboard 205and occupy a predefined area of dashboard 205. Here, footer 210 ispositioned along the south edge of dashboard 210 and the footer containsan icon for each of “Me” feature which presents tiles that are relevantto the user of the client device (icon 211), a “News Feed” feature whichpresents tiles that present news of interest to the user (icon 212),“Groups” feature which presents information on groups which the userbelongs to (icon 213), “Notifications” feature which presentsnotifications for features that require the user's attention (icon 214),and “All” feature which presents all the features that are available tothe user (icon 215). In other embodiments, the ordering or the listingof features in footer 210 can vary. For example, other features infooter 210 can include team cockpit, analytics, learning plan, time off,goals, tasks, touchbase, meetings, user profile, and settings. In someembodiments, the dashboard application can hide footer 210 fromdashboard 205 to maximize the space available to perform a task at hand.For example, footer 210 can be hidden when details related to a featureare presented on dashboard 205 so that dashboard 205 in its entirety canbe devoted to presenting details on the feature. For instance, footer210 can be hidden when the user is in the middle of posting a comment,requesting a two week vacation, or creating a new discussion topic. Insome examples, the dashboard application can hide footer 210 by fadingfooter 210 out of dashboard 205 or by moving footer 210 towards thenearest boundary of dashboard 205 until footer 210 is no longerdisplayed within dashboard 205.

Dashboard 205 further includes tiles 220. Tiles 220 is a collection oftiles where each tile represents a feature that is available to theuser. In one example, each user can have feature permissions whichdefine the features that are available to the user. The tiles thatcorrespond with the available features can be presented in tile 220.Tiles 220 can be presented vertically where one tile abuts another tileon a horizontal border of the tiles. In some examples, the number oftiles to be presented for a user can exceed the number of tiles that canbe displayed simultaneously on dashboard 205. In these situations, thedashboard application can be configured to receive user input to scrollup and down through the collection of tiles so that a portion of thetiles are visible on dashboard 205 while the remaining tiles are not.When input is received to scroll up and down through the collection oftiles, the portion of tiles that are visible on dashboard 205 canchange. To view the collection of tiles on dashboard 205, the user canscroll up and down through the collection until the desired tile isvisible on dashboard 205. In some examples, scrolling to the end of thecollection can continue at the beginning of the collection, and viceversa.

In some examples, managers and direct reports may have access to adifferent set of features. As a result, managers and direct reports mayhave access to a different set of tiles. FIG. 3A illustrates anexemplary collection of tiles for a direct report according to oneembodiment. As shown here, tiles 220 have been organized into orderedlist 300. In one embodiment, the dashboard application can order thetiles according to a predefined order, which can be user defined ordefined by a system administrator. Having the tiles in a predefinedorder can produce an ordered list that the user can become accustomedto. Over time, the user can begin to manipulate through ordered list 300with ease. In another embodiment, the dashboard application can orderthe tiles based on urgency. When urgent updates for a feature arereceived, the tile corresponding to the feature can be ordered closer tothe top of ordered list 300 so that urgent matters appear towards thefront of ordered list 300. In yet another embodiment, the dashboardapplication can add a first tile to ordered list 300 when an update fora feature corresponding to the first tile is received and remove asecond tile when a feature corresponding to the second tile has beenreviewed. This can minimize the number of tiles in ordered list 300,thus allowing the user to focus on the updates which are available.

Ordered list 300 can begin with logo tile 310. Logo tile 310 can beconfigured to display a logo, emblem, mark, or icon that represents thebusiness organization. Logo tile 310 can also include search icon 315.Search icon 315 can be an actionable icon where the dashboardapplication can be configured to receive search parameters when searchicon 315 is selected. This allows a user to search the dashboard for afeature or entry. Ordered list 300 further includes an out of office(OOO) tile 390. OOO tile 390 can be a dynamic tile which appears inordered list 300 when the user is currently or is going to be out of theoffice (e.g., on vacation or on personal leave). Since OOO tile isdynamic, the tile may not appear in ordered list 300 when the user isnot out of the office. Since OOO tile 390 only appears in ordered list300 when there is an update to report, OOO tile 390 is a dynamic tile.Dynamic tiles can remind hidden when there is nothing to report. Inother embodiments, other tiles within ordered list 300 can also bedynamic in nature.

Ordered list 300 further includes goals tile 320, to dos tile 330, andlearning tile 340. Goals tile 320 is configured to provide the status onthe user's goals. To dos tile 330 is configured to provide the status onthe user's to dos list. Similarly, learning tile 340 is configured toprovide the status on the user's learning center. For example, theuser's progress on a class that the user is taking can be presented onlearning tile 340. Depending on whether the user is behind on his goals,to dos, or classes, their respective tile can be presented with a levelof urgency. The urgency of a feature can be adjusted by changing thefont, typography, the size of the font, and/or the color of the font.

Ordered list 300 further includes time off tile 350 and next meetingtile 360, fuel tile 370, and profile tile 380. Time off tile 350 isconfigured to present an overview of the time that the user hasavailable for time off. In one embodiment, a timeline can be presentedshowing the amount of time that the user has taken off and also theamount of time that the user can take off, including sick days, vacationdays, and military days. Next meeting tile 360 is configured to presentan update on meetings that are on the employee's calendar application.In one embodiment, the desktop application may present next meeting tile360 in differently depending on the amount of time that remains beforethe meeting. Fuel tile 370 can be configured to present informationrelated to fuel reimbursement for the user. Profile tile 380 can beconfigured to a summary of the user's profile.

FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary collection of tiles for a manageraccording to one embodiment. While ordered list 300 of FIG. 3A is for adirect report, ordered list 305 of FIG. 3B is for a manager. Bothordered list 300 and ordered list 305 include many of the same tilessince many of the same features are available to both employees.However, ordered list 305 for a manager further includes approvals tile395. Approvals tile 295 can be similar to OOO tile 390 in that approvalstile 395 is dynamic in nature. When there are no approvals to approve,approvals tile 295 can disappear from ordered list 305. Where there areapprovals to approve, approvals tile 295 can appear in ordered list 305.In some examples, dynamic tiles can appear in the front of the list whenthere is something to report.

The following is a discussion on the properties of some exemplary tilesthat may be included in ordered list 300 and ordered list 305. Asdescribed above, the visual appearance and the information presentedwithin each tile can change depending on the status of the feature thatcorresponds with the tile. In some embodiments, a tile can take on afirst theme when the status of the feature has high-urgency and take ona second theme when the status of the feature has low-urgency. Byvisualizing the urgency of a feature on the dashboard, the user canaddress urgent issues before addressing non-urgent ones.

Out of Office Tile

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary tile for representing an out of officefeature according to one embodiment. As shown here, OOO tile 390 followsa theme that includes headline 410-1, alert flag 415-1, message 420-1,and icon 430-1. Together, these elements of OOO tile 390 describe thecurrent state of the out of office feature. Depending on the state ofthe feature, the dashboard application can apply a different theme toOOO tile 390. As described earlier, OOO tile can be a dynamic tile whichremains hidden unless the user is out of the office of is about to beout of the office.

Here, the theme includes headline 410-1 which is configured todistinguish OOO tile 390 from other tiles in the collection of tiles.Headline 410-1 includes the text “OOO,” which is unique to OOO tile 390and therefore headline 410-1 can distinguish an OOO tile from othertiles. The theme also includes alert flag 415-1. Dashboard applicationcan toggle alert flag 415-1 on when the user's attention is required. Insome examples, the dashboard application can give priority to tileshaving the alert flag toggled on and place them at the top of theordered list of tiles. The theme further includes message 420-1 and icon430-1. Together, message 420-1 and icon 430-1 can provide details on thestatus of the feature that corresponds with OOO tile 390. Here, message420-1 notifies the user that he is currently out of the office and willbe returning to the office on March 8^(th). Icon 430-1 serves as afurther reminder that the user is currently out of the office. Giventhat the user is on personal time, the user should not be doing work. Asa result, the dashboard application can give toggle alert flag 415-1 onOOO tile 390 and place OOO tile 390 in front of the ordered list. Seeingthe OOO file 390 in the first tile in the ordered list can serve as areminder to the user that the user is currently should not be doingoffice work. In one embodiment, other tiles in the ordered list canremain hidden when the feature notifies the dashboard application thatthe user is currently out of the office. In another embodiment, allother tiles in the ordered list except tiles having a high-urgencystatus can remain hidden in the ordered list while the OOO tile isactive.

FIG. 4B illustrates another exemplary tile representing an out of officefeature according to another embodiment. Here, the dashboard applicationhas generated OOO tile 390 by using a different theme than OOO tile 390shown in FIG. 4A. The dashboard application may have used a differenttheme since the out of office feature is in a different state. In FIG.4A, the OOO feature notified the dashboard application that the user iscurrently out of the office while in FIG. 4B, the OOO feature notifiedthe dashboard application that the user is about to be out of theoffice. Since a different theme is being applied before the user goesout of the office than when user is actually out of the office, headline410-2, alert flag 415-2, message 420-2 or icon 430-2 can have adifferent visual appearance than headline 410-1, flag 4151, message420-1, or icon 4301, respectively. The elements in the different themescan vary in font, font size, typography, and other visual indicators.For example, headline 410-1 can be in the color red while headline 410-2can be in the color blue. Moreover, each element of the theme can takeon a different role in the tile. For example, the theme used to generateOOO tile 390 of FIG. 4A uses message 410-1 to notify the user the periodof time that the use will be on vacation while the theme used togenerate OOO tile 395 of FIG. 4B uses icon 430-2 to notify the user theperiod of time that the user will be on vacation.

Approval Tile

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary tile for representing an approvalfeature according to one embodiment. Approval tile 395 can be generatedby the dashboard application according to a theme. The theme forapproval tile 395 can be substantially similar to the theme for OOO tile390 as both themes include headline 510, alert flag 515, message 520,and icon 530. However, the theme for approval tile 395 also includesaction button 540. Action button 540, when selected, can trigger anevent in the dashboard application. When the event is triggered, thedashboard application can transition the dashboard from the ordered listof tiles to a large tile configured to present a list of approval itemsthat require the user's approval. Each approval item can include anaction button that when selected by the user, allows the user to approvethe approval item. When the dashboard application detects that anapproval item has been approved, the dashboard application can transmitthis information back to the remote tool that is managing this feature.Here, the dashboard application can modify message 520 to display thenumber of approvals that are waiting for approval. As the number ofpending approvals change due to information being received from theapproval feature, the dashboard application can modify message 520 todisplay the correct number of pending approvals.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) forapproving approvals according to one embodiment. Approval GUI 600 can beconfigured to present a plurality of approval items on the dashboard.Each approval item can include headline 610, avatar 612, description614, and action button 616. Headline 610 can contain a phrase thatintroduces the purpose of the approval. For example, headline 610-1contains the text “Signature Approval” so that the user knows thepurpose of this approval. Similarly, headline 610-2 contains the text“10 Days Vacation Request” so that the user knows that the approval itemis related to a vacation request. Avatar 612 can be configured topresent an image of the person that is seeking approval whiledescription 614 can include a description of the approval. Together,avatar 612 and description 614 can provide context to the approval byinforming the user who is seeking approval and details on the approval.Action button 616 is an actionable icon. The dashboard application cantransmit an approval instruction for the approval item to an approvalfeature when action button 616 is selected.

Typically employees are cognizant of the approval items they receive solittle time is spent reviewing each approval item. However if desired,additional information on an approval item can also be presented to theuser. In some embodiments, headline 610, avatar 612, or description 614can be actionable elements. When selected, the dashboard application cantransition approval GUI 600 to a detailed description page that includesdetails on the approval item. For example, the last approval item inapproval GUI 600 is for promoting an employee to a director of SalesEMEA. When the dashboard application detects that headline 610 can beenselected in approval GUI 600, the dashboard application can transitionapproval GUI 600 to a detailed view of an approval item. The detailedview can occupy a larger portion of the dashboard than the approvalitem. In some examples, the detailed view can occupy the dashboard inits entirety, which includes hiding the footer. The detailed view caninclude details such as the annualized salary for the employee due tothe promotion, the change in job title due to the promotion, and thetotal earnings opportunity due to the promotion. The detailed view canalso include two action buttons to reject or approve the approval item.In other words, the detailed view can include the option to reject orapprove the approval item while approval GUI 600 only includes theoption to approve the approval item. This is to reduce clutter inapproval GUI 600 since most users find themselves approving the approvalitems with little review.

Goals Tile

FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary tile for representing a goals featureaccording to one embodiment. Goals tile 320 can be generated by thedashboard application according to a theme. Depending on the theme, thedashboard application can present information received from the goalsfeature to generate goals tile 320 using a different font, font size,typeface, or other changes to the visual appearance of goals tile 320.In one embodiment, the dashboard application can select a theme forgoals tile 320 based on the status of a goals feature. If the goalsfeature has a high-urgency, then the dashboard application can generategoals tile 320 using a high priority theme. If the goals feature haslow-urgency, then the dashboard application can generate goals tile 320using a low priority theme. In one example, the dashboard applicationcan determine the status from the information received from the goalsfeature. In another example, the status of the goals feature can bedirectly received from the goals feature. Goals tile 320 includesheadline 710, chart 720, and action button 730.

Here, the dashboard application generates goals tile 320 using a themethat corresponds to a status of high-urgency. The high-urgency statuscan be received from the goals feature since one user goal is alreadybehind schedule. Alternatively, the dashboard application can determinethat a theme corresponding to high-urgency status should be applied togoals tile 395 since the information received from the goals featureincludes a goal which is already behind schedule. Based on thehigh-urgency theme, the dashboard application can generate headline710-1 by using a font and typeface that corresponds with thehigh-urgency theme. Dashboard application can also generate chart 720-1with the urgent elements within the chart (e.g., element 725-1 thatrepresents the past due goal) highlighted or otherwise visually modifiedfor identification purposes. Lastly, the dashboard application cangenerate action button 730-1 which when selected, can cause thedashboard application to present details on the user's goals on thedashboard.

FIG. 7B illustrates another exemplary tile for representing a goalsfeature according to one embodiment. As shown here, the dashboardapplication can generate goals tile 320 using a theme that correspondswith a feature status of normal-urgency. Normal urgency can be appliedwhen there are goals due within a week. In contrast, high-urgency isapplied when there are goals that are past due. The normal-urgency themecan specify the font, font size, typeface, or other visual attributes ofgoals tile 320. Here, the dashboard application can generate thenormal-urgency status using a blue color for the font of headline 710-2and element 725-2, which is part of chart 720-2 and can generate thehigh-urgency status using a red color for the font of headline 710-1 andelement 725-1.

FIG. 7C illustrates another exemplary tile for representing a goalsfeature according to one embodiment. As shown here, the dashboardapplication has applied a low-urgency theme to the information receivedfrom the goals feature. The dashboard application can apply thelow-urgency theme when the information received from the goals featuredoes not contain any urgent issues that need the employee's attention.Here, goals tile 320 includes headline 710-3, chart 720-3, and actionbutton 730-3. In some embodiments, the font and font size used forelements such as headline 710 and action button 730 can be the sameirrespective of the theme. The different themes may however change thecolor of the headline and action button, thus making it possible for theuser to easily infer the urgency of the tile.

When action button 730 in goals tile 320 is selected, the dashboardapplication can present details of the user goals on the dashboard. FIG.8 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) for evaluatinggoals according to one embodiment. Goals GUI 800 can be presented by thedashboard application when action button 730-2 of FIG. 7B is selected.FIG. 7B includes a goals chart where two goals are due within the week.When action button 730-2 is selected, the dashboard applicationtransitions from presenting multiple tiles to presenting a single tilethat includes details for the two goals. Goals GUI 800 includes headline810, my objectives icon 820-1, my team icon 820-2, goal 830-1 and goal830-2. Headline 810 can present a title for the user's goals. Myobjectives icon 820-1 can be a selectable icon that when selected,presents the user's goals in the dashboard. Alternatively, selecting myteam icon 820-2 can cause the dashboard application to present the goalsof the team in the dashboard. Here, my objectives icon 820-1 has beenselected by the user. Dashboard application can bold my objectives icon820-1 when it is selected as a visual indicator of the selected option.The goals of the user include a first goal having headline 830-1 titled“Customer Success” and a second goal having headline 8302 titled “Buildbest in class suite”. The first goal can be divided into sub-goals withdescription 831-1 and 833-1. Each sub-goal can be accompanied bypercentage completion bar 832-1 and 834-1 to notify the user how much ofthe goal has been completed. Similarly, the second goal has a sub-goalwith description 831-1 and percentage completion bar 832-2.

To Dos Tile

Many features can generate to do items for the user. In one embodiment,the dashboard application can aggregate the to do items from multiplefeatures and summarize the to do items in to dos tile 330. In oneembodiment, a status can be assigned to the to do list based on theaggregated information. For example, if the to do list contains to doitems that are overdue, a high-urgency status can be assigned to thelist. Alternatively if the to do list contains to do items that are duewithin the week, a normal-urgency status can be assigned to the list.Lastly if there are no to do items due within the week, a low-urgencystatus can be assigned to the list. Depending on the status of the to dolist, the dashboard application can apply a corresponding theme on todos tile 330.

FIG. 9A illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a list of to doitems according to one embodiment. Here, the theme applied to to dostile 330 is a high-urgency theme. The high-urgency theme may be appliedwhen the to do list has a high-urgency status (e.g., one or more to doitems are overdue). To dos tile 330 includes headline 910, count 920,icon 930, action button 940, and details 950. The high-urgency theme canpresent headline 910-1 and count 920-1 (which indicates the number of todo items that are overdue) in red to indicate that to dos tile 330should be examined by the user. The theme can also include icon 930-1which serves to notify the user that there are to do items which areoverdue. In some examples, an image such as a flame can also be includedin icon 930-1 to grab the user's attention. Action button 940-1, whenselected, can cause the dashboard application to transition to a to doGUI where the to do items can be examined or processed in detail. Oneexample of a to do GUI is shown in FIG. 10. The theme can also includedetails 950-1 which indicates the total number of to do items that arein the list.

FIG. 9B illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a list of todo items according to one embodiment. Here, the theme applied to the todos tile 330 is a mid-urgency theme. The mid-urgency theme can beapplied when the to do list does not have overdue items but does haveitems which are due within the week. The mid-urgency theme can presentheadline 910-2, count 920-2, and icon 930-2 in blue to indicate that todos tile should be examined if the user has time. In contrast to icon930-1 which is in red and includes a flame image, icon 930-2 is blue andsimply notifies the user that the number of items specified by count920-2 are due this week. Details 950-2 can notify the user of the totalnumber of to do items in the list. Similar to action button 940-1,action button 940-2 can cause the dashboard application to transition toa to do GUI for examining the to do items in detail.

FIG. 9C illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a list of todo items according to one embodiment. Here, the theme applied to dostile 330 is a low-urgency theme. The low-urgency theme can be appliedwhen the to do list does not contain overdue items or items which aredue within the week. Here, icon 930-3 can include text that notifies theuser that the number of items specified by count 920-3 are due by thismonth. In other embodiments, the visual appearance of headline 910,count 920, icon 930, action button 940, and details 950 can vary betweenthemes.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary GUI for presenting a to do listaccording to one embodiment. GUI 1000 can be generated by the dashboardapplication to present details on a user's to do list. In someembodiments, the dashboard application can aggregate to do items frommultiple features into the to do list. As a result, to do items thatappear in one tile may also appear again in the to do list. As shown,the to do list can include items that belong to a different tile. Forexample, approvals which are monitored by approvals tile 395 can also beincluded in GUI 1000 since approvals are can be aggregated into the todo list. Similarly, learning items that appear in learning tile 340 canalso appear in GUI 1000.

The dashboard application can categorize the to do items and present theto do items as categories in GUI 1000. Here, GUI 1000 includes fourcategories: approvals 1010-1, learning 1010-2, interview feedback1010-3, and onboarding 1010-4. As the to do list dynamically changes asto do items are completed or to do items are added to the to do list,the dashboard application can update the categories being presented inGUI 1000. Each category can include a description which is configured todescribe the category. The description can also specify the number of todo items that are within the category. Each category can also includeaction button 1020. Action button 1020, when selected, can cause thedashboard application to present a page on the dashboard for performingthe to do items within the category. For example, selecting actionbutton 1020-1 which is for approvals can cause the dashboard applicationto present approvals GUI 600 on the dashboard where the user can processthe approvals. Once the approvals are processed, the user can return toGUI 1000. If all the approvals have been processed, the approvalscategory will no longer appear in GUI 1000.

In some embodiments, a theme can be applied to category 1010 to signifythe urgency of the to do items within the category. For example, let'sassume the user is looking at to dos tile 330 shown in FIG. 9B. To dostile 330 notifies the user that there are two overdue to do items are 7more to do items that are due later. If the user were to select onaction button 940-1, GUI 1000 can be presented on the dashboard. WithinGUI 1000, the category or categories that contain the two overdue itemscan be presented using a different theme. This can allow the user toprioritize his or her time to the high-urgency to do items in the to dolist.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary interview feedback GUI according to oneembodiment. Interview feedback GUI can be presented by the dashboardapplication in response to detecting the selection of action button1020-3 of FIG. 3 that is associated with interview feedback category1010-3. As shown, interview feedback GUI 1100 is a simple user interfacefor providing a user's feedback on interviewees. The interview feedbacktiles are sorted according to the open recs. For example, interviewfeedback tile 1112-1 and 1112-2 are grouped together as part of open rec1110-1 (an open rec for a sales manager) while interview feedback tile1112-3 is grouped as part of open rec 1110-2 (an open rec for a factorymanager). Each interview feedback tile 1112 can include two actionbuttons, action button 1114 and action button 1116. If the user likedthe interviewee, the user can select action button 1114. Alternativelyif the user does not like the interviewee, then the user can selectaction button 1116. The dashboard application can transmit the user'sfeedback to an interview feedback feature which processes the user'sfeedback.

In some embodiments interview feedback tile 1112 can also be actionablewhere selecting the interview feedback tile can allow the user toprovide additional interview feedback beyond a simple like/dislike. Forexample, the name of the interviewee as presented in interview feedbacktile 1112 can be actionable where selecting on the interviewee's namecan cause the dashboard application to present a detailed tile forentering interview feedback. The detailed tile can allow the user to addcomments on the interviewee, view the interviewee's resume to refreshthe user on who the interviewee is, and also provide a five star ratingon the interviewee.

Learning Tile

The learning tile can provide the status of an update feature that isavailable to the user. Similar to the to dos tile 330, the dashboardapplication can apply a theme to learning tile 340 based on the statusof the learning feature. For example, the dashboard application mayapply a high-urgency theme to learning tile 340 when it receiveslearning items which are overdue. FIG. 12A illustrates an exemplary tilefor presenting a learning feature according to one embodiment. Here,learning tile 340 includes headline 1210-1, count 1220-1, icon 1230-1,action button 1240-1, and details 1250-1. The dashboard application hasapplied a high-urgency theme to learning tile 340 since there are twolearning items which are currently overdue. The high-urgency theme canchange the font color of headline 1210-1, count 1220-1, and icon 1230-1to signify that the learning feature has overdue items. Selection ofaction button 1240-1 can cause the dashboard application to transitionto a learning GUI where the learning items can be examined or processedin detail.

FIG. 12B illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting learningitems according to one embodiment. Here, the theme applied to learningtile 330 is a mid-urgency theme. The mid-urgency theme can be appliedwhen the learning feature does not have overdue items but does haveitems which are due within the week. The mid-urgency theme can presentheadline 1210-2, count 1220-2, and icon 1230-2 in blue to indicate thatthere are learning features due within a week. In contrast to icon1230-1 which is in red and includes a flame image, icon 1230-2 is blueand simply notifies the user that the number of items specified by count1220-2 are due this week. Details 1250-2 can notify the user the numberof items that are due later. Similar to action button 940-1, actionbutton 940-2 can cause the dashboard application to transition to alearning GUI for examining the learning items in detail.

FIG. 12C illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a list oflearning items according to one embodiment. Here, the theme applied tolearning tile 340 is a low-urgency theme. The low-urgency theme can beapplied when the list of learning items do not contain overdue items oritems which are due within the week. Here, icon 1230-3 can include textthat notifies the user that the number of items specified by count1220-3 are due by this month. In other embodiments, the visualappearance of headline 1210, count 1220, icon 1230, action button 1240,and details 1250 can vary between themes.

Time Off Tile

The time off tile can be configured to provide the status of a time offfeature which is used when employees take time off. Similar to the todos tile 330, the dashboard application can apply a theme to time offtile 350 based on the status of the time off feature. For example, thedashboard application may apply a high-urgency theme when the user hasnot taken a vacation for over a predefined period of time, such as sixmonths. The dashboard application can also apply a low-urgency themewhen the user has taken a vacation within the predefined period of time.In some embodiments, different themes can present different informationto the user. Here unlike the to dos tile, the high-urgency andlow-urgency themes of the time off tile can present differentinformation. While the high-urgency theme notifies the user when was thelast time that the user took a vacation, the low-urgency theme canpresent a calendar of time that the user has taken off in the past year.

FIG. 13A illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a time off featureaccording to one embodiment. Here, the user has not taken a vacationwithin the predefined period of time and as a result, time off tile 250can have a high-urgency theme applied. As shown, a high-urgency themeapplied on time off tile 350 can include headline 1310, message 1320,and action button 1330. Message 1320 can be predefined or personalizedbased on the user. Here, the period of time since the user's lastvacation can be included in message 1320 to inform the user of theperiod of time in which the user has not taken a vacation. If actionbutton 1330 is detected as being selected, the dash application cantransition to a GUI where time-off analysis is presented to the user. Insome examples, the color or font of headline 1310, message 1320, andaction button 1330 can vary depending on the theme.

FIG. 13B illustrates another example for presenting a time off featureaccording to one embodiment. Here, the dashboard application cangenerate time off tile 350 by using a low-urgency theme when thedashboard application detects that the period of time since the user'slast vacation is below a certain threshold. The low-urgency theme canpresent different information than the high-urgency theme. As shownhere, the low-urgency theme includes a chart that maps the user'svacation history for the past year. This allows the user to quickly viewhow many vacation/sick/military days that the user has saved up. Thisalso allows the user to quickly review the time off that has beenrecorded by the business organization so that the user can confirm theaccuracy of the business organization's bookkeeping.

Next Meeting Tile

The next meeting tile can be configured to display meeting info that ison the user's calendar. The dashboard application can communicate with acalendar (or meeting) feature and retrieve upcoming meetings that are onthe user's calendar. Based on the upcoming meetings, the dashboardapplication can determine the status that should be applied to the nextmeeting tile and generate the next meeting tile using a theme thatcorresponds with the determined status.

FIG. 14A illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a calendar featureaccording to one embodiment. Here, the dashboard application hasreceived information from a calendar feature about meetings that are onthe user's calendar. Upon receiving the information, the dashboardapplication can determine that the next meeting for the user is inprogress. Based on the GPS location of the user's device, the dashboardapplication can determine the approximate locate of the user andconclude that the user is not in the meeting. As a result, the dashboardapplication can generate next meeting tile 360 with a theme thatcorrelates with high-urgency status. Here, the theme can includeheadline 1410-1, message 1420-1, avatars 1430-1, icon 1440-1, and actionbutton 1450-1. Headline 1410-1 can include the title of next meetingtile 360 which allows the tile to be uniquely identified from othertiles. Message 1420-1 can include the topic of the meeting. Avatars1430-1 can include avatars of the people who are attending the meeting.In one embodiment, the meeting organizer can be presented as the firstavatar. Icon 1440-1 can include an image that notifies the user that themeeting is in progress. Here, icon 1440-1 is an alarm clock to notifythe user that the meeting is in progress. Action button 1450-1 is anactionable button. When action button 1450-1 is selected, the dashboardapplication can transition and present a GUI on the dashboard thatpresents details on the meeting. These details can include the locationof the meeting, the full list of attendees (or invitees), a shortdescription of the purpose of the meeting, attached documents to discussduring the meeting, or other meeting information.

FIG. 14B illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a calendarfeature according to one embodiment. Here, the dashboard application cangenerate time off tile 350 by using a medium-urgency theme when thedashboard application detects that the next meeting is within apredefined threshold of time (e.g., 10 minutes). Similar to thehigh-urgency theme in FIG. 14A, the middle-urgency theme of FIG. 14Bpresents the same headline, message, and avatars as the high urgencytheme in FIG. 14A. However, the color of the headline, message, oravatars can be different to distinguish high-urgency status frommedium-urgency status. Here, the medium-urgency theme can be configuredto present icon 1440-2 as an image that describes the amount of timethat remains before the beginning of the next meeting. Here, the imageis a value that corresponds with the time remaining in otherembodiments, the image can be a clock, stopwatch, or other time-relatedimage that describes the amount of time remaining before the nextmeeting.

FIG. 14C illustrates another exemplary tile for presenting a calendarfeature according to one embodiment. FIG. 14C is like FIGS. 14A and 14Bin that the headline, message, and avatars remain the same. However, thelow-urgency theme of FIG. 4C displays the time of the next meeting inicon 1440-3 rather than the time remaining before the next meeting (asin the middle-urgency theme) or an alarm clock (as in the high-urgencytheme).

Fuel Tile

As described in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the collection of tiles can alsoinclude a fuel tile. The fuel tile can be configured to presentinformation related to fuel reimbursement for the user. FIG. 15illustrates an exemplary tile for presenting a fuel feature according toone embodiment. As shown, the dashboard application can generate fueltile 370 with headline 1510, message 1520, and action button 1530.Message 1520 can present various information related to fuel consumptionor reimbursement, such as the amount of money spent over a duration oftime, the amount of money remaining in the fuel budget, the amount ofmiles driver, the amount of miles remaining, or other fuel or travelrelated information. Fuel tile 370 further includes action button 1530which when selected, causes dashboard application to present a moredetailed view of the fuel feature.

FIG. 16 illustrates a detailed graphical user interface for a fuelfeature according to one embodiment. As shown, GUI 1600 includes threesteps for submitting a fuel expense. The first step (section 1610) is toadd an attachment to the fuel claim. As shown, section 1610 includes twooptions: option 1612 which selects an image from the camera roll of theclient device and option 1614 which takes a picture with the clientdevice. The second step (section 1620) is to include the amount spent onfuel. The amount spent can be entered into field 1622 while details 1624can present the remaining balance which the user can expense. The thirdstep (section 1630) includes field 1632. Field 1632 is a field in whichthe user can leave comments for the approver.

Methods

FIG. 17 illustrates a process for presenting a dashboard according toone embodiment. Process 1700 can be stored in computer readable code andexecuted by a processor. For example, process 1700 can be a part of thecomputer readable code stored in storage device 124 in client device 120of FIG. 1. Process 1700 begins by presenting a dashboard containing anordered list of tiles that are configured to report on features of aperformance management tool at 1710. The performance management tool canbe remote to the portable electronic device that is executing process1700. The ordered list of tiles can include a first tile configured toreport on a management feature provided by the performance managementtool. In one example, the ordered list of tiles can be presented as onestacked on top of the other.

Process 1700 continues by detecting an alert for the management featureat 1720. In one embodiment, the alert can be received from theperformance management tool. In another embodiment, the alert can bederived from updates received from the performance management tool. Oncethe alert has been detected, process 1700 can continue by updating thefirst tile in response to the alert at 1730. In one example, updatingthe first tile can include applying a theme to the first tile. Inanother example, updating the first tile can include determining thatthe alert contains an action item having an urgent state, identifying avisual theme that corresponds with the urgent state, and changing avisual attribute of the first tile according to the visual theme. In yetanother example, updating the first tile can include changing where thefirst tile is positioned in the ordered list of tiles. In yet anotherexample, updating the first tile can include making the first tilevisible in the dashboard rather than hidden.

In one example where the management feature is a calendar feature,detecting the alert can include determining that a meeting is currentlyin progress (or soon to be in progress) and determining that the user isnot at the meeting location corresponding to the meeting. In anotherexample where the management feature is a goals management feature,detecting the alert can include determining that a goal is past due.

Computer System

An exemplary computer system 1800 is illustrated in FIG. 18. Computersystem 1810 includes a bus 1805 or other communication mechanism forcommunicating information, and a processor 1801 coupled with bus 1805for processing information. Computer system 1810 also includes memory1802 coupled to bus 1805 for storing information and instructions to beexecuted by processor 1801, including information and instructions forperforming the techniques described above, for example. This memory mayalso be used for storing variables or other intermediate informationduring execution of instructions to be executed by processor 1801.Possible implementations of this memory may be, but are not limited to,random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), or both. A storagedevice 1803 is also provided for storing information and instructions.Common forms of storage devices include, for example, a hard drive, amagnetic disk, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, a flash memory, a USBmemory card, or any other medium from which a computer can read. Storagedevice 1803 may include source code, binary code, or software files forperforming the techniques above, for example. Storage device and memoryare both examples of computer readable mediums.

Computer system 1810 may be coupled via bus 1805 to a display 1812, suchas a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD), fordisplaying information to a computer user. An input device 1811 such asa keyboard and/or mouse is coupled to bus 1805 for communicatinginformation and command selections from the user to processor 1801. Thecombination of these components allows the user to communicate with thesystem. In some systems, bus 1805 may be divided into multiplespecialized buses.

Computer system 1810 also includes a network interface 1804 coupled withbus 1805. Network interface 1804 may provide two-way data communicationbetween computer system 1810 and the local network 1820. The networkinterface 1804 may be a digital subscriber line (DSL) or a modem toprovide data communication connection over a telephone line, forexample. Another example of the network interface is a local areanetwork (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to acompatible LAN. Wireless links are another example. In any suchimplementation, network interface 804 sends and receives electrical,electromagnetic, or optical signals that carry digital data streamsrepresenting various types of information.

Computer system 1810 can send and receive information, includingmessages or other interface actions, through the network interface 1804across a local network 1820, an Intranet, or the Internet 1830. For alocal network, computer system 1810 may communicate with a plurality ofother computer machines, such as server 1815. Accordingly, computersystem 1810 and server computer systems represented by server 1815 mayform a cloud computing network, which may be programmed with processesdescribed herein. In the Internet example, software components orservices may reside on multiple different computer systems 1810 orservers 1831-1835 across the network. The processes described above maybe implemented on one or more servers, for example. A server 1831 maytransmit actions or messages from one component, through Internet 1830,local network 1820, and network interface 1804 to a component oncomputer system 1810. The software components and processes describedabove may be implemented on any computer system and send and/or receiveinformation across a network, for example.

The above description illustrates various embodiments of the presentinvention along with examples of how aspects of the present inventionmay be implemented. The above examples and embodiments should not bedeemed to be the only embodiments, and are presented to illustrate theflexibility and advantages of the present invention as defined by thefollowing claims. Based on the above disclosure and the followingclaims, other arrangements, embodiments, implementations and equivalentswill be evident to those skilled in the art and may be employed withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: presenting, by a portable electronic device, a dashboard containing an ordered list of tiles that are configured to report on features of a performance management tool remote to the portable electronic device, wherein a first tile is configured to report on a management feature provided by the performance management tool; detecting, by the portable electronic device, an alert for the management feature; and updating, by the portable electronic device, the first tile in response to the alert.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the first tile comprises: determining, by the portable electronic device, that the alert contains an action item having an urgent state; identifying, by the portable electronic device, a visual theme that corresponds with the urgent state; and changing, by the portable electronic device, a visual attribute of the first tile according to the visual theme.
 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first tile includes a chart and changing the visual attribute of the first tile comprises changing a color for an element in the chart, wherein the element is associated with the action having an urgent state.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the first tile comprises moving, by the portable computing device, the first tile to a different position in the ordered list of tiles.
 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the portable computing device, the first tile on the dashboard before other tiles in the ordered list of tiles.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the management feature is a calendar feature and detecting the alert comprises: first determining, by the portable electronic device, that a meeting is currently in progress, the meeting having a meeting location; and second determining, by the portable electronic device, that the portable electronic device is outside a proximity of the meeting location.
 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the management feature is a goals management feature and detecting the alert comprises: determining, by the portable electronic device, that a goal of the goals management feature is past due.
 8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions for: presenting a dashboard containing an ordered list of tiles that are configured to report on features of a performance management tool remote to the portable electronic device, wherein a first tile is configured to report on a management feature provided by the performance management tool; detecting an alert for the management feature; and updating the first tile in response to the alert.
 9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein updating the first tile comprises: determining that the alert contains an action item having an urgent state; identifying a visual theme that corresponds with the urgent state; and changing a visual attribute of the first tile according to the visual theme.
 10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first tile includes a chart and changing the visual attribute of the first tile comprises changing a color for an element in the chart, wherein the element is associated with the action having an urgent state.
 11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein updating the first tile comprises moving, by the portable computing device, the first tile to a different position in the ordered list of tiles.
 12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising presenting, by the portable computing device, the first tile on the dashboard before other tiles in the ordered list of tiles.
 13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the management feature is a calendar feature and detecting the alert comprises: first determining that a meeting is currently in progress, the meeting having a meeting location; and second determining that the portable electronic device is outside a proximity of the meeting location.
 14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the management feature is a goals management feature and detecting the alert comprises: determining that a goal of the goals management feature is past due.
 15. A computer implemented system, comprising: one or more computer processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed, control the one or more computer processors to be configured for: presenting a dashboard containing an ordered list of tiles that are configured to report on features of a performance management tool remote to the portable electronic device, wherein a first tile is configured to report on a management feature provided by the performance management tool; detecting an alert for the management feature; and updating the first tile in response to the alert.
 16. The computer implemented system of claim 15, wherein updating the first tile comprises: determining that the alert contains an action item having an urgent state; identifying a visual theme that corresponds with the urgent state; and changing a visual attribute of the first tile according to the visual theme.
 17. The computer implemented system of claim 16, wherein the first tile includes a chart and changing the visual attribute of the first tile comprises changing a color for an element in the chart, wherein the element is associated with the action having an urgent state.
 18. The computer implemented system of claim 15, wherein updating the first tile comprises moving, by the portable computing device, the first tile to a different position in the ordered list of tiles.
 19. The computer implemented system of claim 15, wherein the management feature is a calendar feature and detecting the alert comprises: first determining that a meeting is currently in progress, the meeting having a meeting location; and second determining that the portable electronic device is outside a proximity of the meeting location.
 20. The computer implemented system of claim 15, wherein the management feature is a goals management feature and detecting the alert comprises: determining that a goal of the goals management feature is past due. 